Tag: hydroponic cloning system

GUIDE:How to Successfully Take Plant Cuttings From a Mother Plant

The key to keeping mother plants small lies in taking strong cuttings.  Strong cuttings will root fast and grow into large plants of higher quality.  Weak clones are susceptible to disease and bug infestation.  Cloning is very rough on the mother and fresh cutting.  Avoid taking too many clones from one mother plant in one day.  When mother plants lose a lot of their vegetative growth, they can become weak.  A weak mother plant can only provide weak clones(a problem you are already trying to avoid).

Follow these step by step instructions to ensure you have a successful cloning system.

The mother plant could produce 4 or 5 fresh cuttings at this point.

First identify the best part of the plant to clone.  This can vary a little depending on the type of plant.  For the most part you want to have a long enough stem to fit through your growth medium.  Use a razor blade or trimmers to cut a clone at a 45 degree angle.  Cut at a node where another branch will grow out.  The old stem will appear to split into two new stems.  Those two stems can turn into two strong clones or one very strong clone.  You have the power to decide.

Plant propagation
The line is exactly where you should cut your clone. Below the line the new growth is sprouting out.

Once you have cut the clone from the main stem, you want to cut off any large leaves because they will drain the cutting of its moisture.  Do not fear, the leaves will grow back.  The bottom 6-8 inches of the steam should be completely clear of leaves.

Dip the end of the stem in your favorite Cloning Gel. I prefer Earth Juice for organic applications and Clonex for flower types.

Next put the cutting into its own growth medium to be put into your cloning system.  The growth medium could be a rockwool cube, a net pot of hydroton, or a neorepene disc.  After a few hours if you notice your clones are sagging or wilting, gently mist them with plain water.  DO NOT OVER DO IT. You want the plant to feel the need to grow roots to find water and nutrients.  Good Luck Gardeners!  Feel free to leave comments below if you have any questions.

Hydroponic Growth Medium: Rockwool or Starter Plugs

Both mediums have small precut holes perfect for plant stems. You can also start your own small hole somewhere on the cube for stems.

Hydroponic growth medium is an important choice depending on your grow style.  Different growth medias have different strengths and weaknesses.  Many growers turn to hydroponic growing methods for their propagation systems.  By doing so, growers are given a wide array of options to optimize their growing efficiency.  Economical growers do not want to see a decrease in yield or harvest quality due to a growing media issue.

Cloning medium
Try different cloning mediums to find what works for YOU.

Below are the pros and cons for both mediums.  You should experiment with both to see what you find.  You never know what you may find out from trying different soil less mediums.  Search for what works best in the system you use.

Starter Plug Pros:

-Simple, Plugs usually come in a float n grow type system with instructions.

-Only need to be dipped in water to be ready to go.

Starter Plug Cons:

–The float n grow system is not really re-usable, rendering the starter plug replacement packs nearly useless.

-Aside from the float n grow – the starter plugs seem to be susceptible to powdery mildew but careful planning can defend against it.

Rockwool Pros:

-The design is made to give the roots the best air to moisture ratio, if used properly.

–Rockwool is not messy whatsoever.

-Holds moisture well – Important for cloning.

-Comes in various sizes.

Rockwool Cons:

–May not be a good choice for plants that require a dry start  for success.

-Rough handling, and lack of attention could lead to an incorrect air to moisture ratio.

-Should be sitting flat.

I cannot say which will prove to be more successful to you, but I had better luck with the rockwool cubes.  The Starter Plugs stayed in water for too long.  I also tried re-using a float n grow through multiple sets of cloning cycles.  The float n grow needs to be cleaned and sterilized to go through a refill.  The rockwool cubes did not do well sitting in a flood tray of water, but they did hold up well in a bubble cloner.  Go for 100% and try out all the different cloning mediums!  Share your experience below!